Controlling device for electric motors.



J. J. SINCLAIR. CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.7, 1911.

Patented Sept. 3, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

WITNESSES:

J. J, SINCLAIR.

VICE FOR ELECTRIC MOTO'US. APPLICATION FILED DEG.7,1911.

TROLLING DE JOHN J. SINCLAIR, or crime. nomotmgnmr wasn't.

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

ost 34.4.

Specification of :Letters Patent.

"Iatented'S ept. '3, 19212.-

Application filed December 7, 1911. fields Hp. $64380.

.To all wi t-omit may concern:

:i-iBe it known that- I, Join: J. Sincmm, a .citizenof the United States of America, and

iaxres dent ofUpperMontclainin the county swof LEASBX and -State :of New Jersey, .United fitates of America, have invented certain :newcnd useful Improvements in Controlling Devices for :Electric Motors,- of which the following is a specification, reference being- LO had ito the-accompanying drawings, fortn- 'ing aipart thereof.

. My inve'ntion relates to controlling de- Jqiccs for electric motors and its object is to provide a simple and reliable device to he used iii-conjunction with hand operated controllers for automatically preventing too irapid or improper manipulation of such mechanisms.

fil willqdescribe my invention in the following specification, and point out the novel feat-ores thereof in'the appended claims.

fln the drawings: Figure 1 is a diagram showing certain parts of a trolley careqnip- :ment with portions of one of its controllers shown in section, and with my invention shown applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan .view of one form of the locking mechanisnifor't-he controller when it has reached its inward-position. Fig. 3 is a similar view,

.30 showing the parts in the position which they assume-When passing from one step to another. Fig. at is a fragmentary plan view, showing the parts in locked position. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig; ".2 with-the ratchet and cam wheels removedl Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view of a modi-E dorm of locking device with the parts" in inward position and electromagnet de-i energized. 7 :is ahead elevation of the same with :the ratchet and cam wheels removed. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan viewf showing the {position assumed by the parts when in looking position with the 6l8Ct1O-' magnet energized. Fig. 9 is a transverse; vertical section taken on the line 99 in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan view on an enlarged scale of the locking pawl andi latcln lever showing howthe angle of the tooth engaging face of the looking dog is charged. Figs. 11 and 12 are plan views respectivcly of a latch lever and a pawlshown removed irony-the other anisni.

corresponding parts in all of the figures.

parts of the mechf V j with a toothed cam '66 by a strong spring lake characters of reference designate 10 designates an armature-cf one of the cafe electric motors, and 11 its series ifield winding. 1

"12 is the motor starting resistance.

14 is the shaft of one of the motor con- 10 trollers at the end of the car and 16 is the handle by means of which itis manipulated. O11-this shaft is a drum 18 which carries a contact plate 20. This is arranged to 'be moved first into contact with two stationary m5 gicontacts 22-Q4i, and then successively onto similar =eontacts 262829.

30 is a controlni-agnet or solenoid which has winding 31 connected in series with the motor. Connected with, but insulated :70 from the core of this magnet is a contact plate 32 which is adapted. to bridge two stationary contacts 33-434 when the :magnet core is raised. A conductor 35 leads from contact 83 to oneof-the stationary contacts of the controller on the 'positivcsideof the motor or control circuit, which is energized at times that the motor or motors arereceiving current. I

:36 is a conductor leadingjfromrthe contact 39 34 to cne terminal-of-the winding 41 of a latch controlling magnet 40. ,The other terminal of the winding 41 is connected with the ground or negative side of control or motor circuit by a wire 42. The latch controlling magnet is preferably in the form of a solenoid inclosed in a shell 48, and provided with a core 44 which is engaged zit-its upper end by a comparatively weak coiled spring A locking pawl 48 is fulcrunied on a bolt '50 carried by ears 51 depending from the lower end of the shell 43. This pawlis pivotally connected at one end to a member 52 projecting from the lower end of the core 414. The other end of the pawl 48 is formed with a hook 54 adapted to engage the substantially radial faces of teeth 56 on a'ratchet wheel58 on the controller shaft 14:. The spring 46 is a light spring which tends to keep the hook 54- out of en agement with 100 the teeth of the ratchet whee but the pawl is prevented from moving outwardly beyond a limited distance by :1 lug 60, which projects laterally from a lever 62 and overlies said pawl. Thelever 62 is also fdlc'rumed on the 10 bolt and is provided at its free end with a cam roller 64l,which is-held inengagement '68. The spring 68 is held at one end by a 1 lug 69 on the under side :of an car 70 prolocking pawl 82, having its face 99 adapted to engage and lock the teeth 56 p on the ratchet wheel 58. The operation of this form of the device is as follows: The current is controlled and the magnet is energized in the; manner described above. When the controller is in the center of a new circuitclosing position the cam roll 64 is in a posi:

tion to be lifted out of a depression on the cam wheel 66 by any further movement of the controller as shown' in Fig. 8, the spring 46 acting on the core 92 to keep the latch lever 80 in engagement with the lug 78, so that the latch lever, pawl and cam lever'travel in unison. When the magnet is sufficiently energized to draw up its core 92 against the pressure of the spring l6, the pin 88 causes the locking pawl to swing about the pin 94 as a fulcrum, thus tilting the dog 98 so that its engaging face 99 is tilted to assume an angle less than the angle of friction, with the teeth of the ratchet wheel, that is, the angle at which the dog and ratchet tooth will engage without slipping. Then the pin 88 engages the upper end of the slot 86 in the latch lever 80, thus forcing the other end of said lever inward and with it thedog 98011 the pawl 82. As the latch lever swings inward it also carries the locking dog into position to engage the substantially radial face of the opposing tooth on the ratchet wheel. .The angular relation of the faces on the tooth and dog are such that they are inclined at an angle substantially equal to or less than the angle of friction, that is, at an angle at which slipping of the parts is prevented, and the ratchet wheel is firmly locked against movementin one direction. WVhen the magnet'is deenergized, the plunger 99. drops, aided by the spring 46. The pin 88 then forces the left hand end of the locking pawl downward and as it swings about the pin 94, the

engaging face of the dog 98 is swung so that I it makes an angle greater than the angle of friction, asv shown at 99 in dot and dash lines in Fig. 10, to allow a slip and disengagement of the opposing faces of a rainhet tooth and the dog. Then the pin 88engages the bottom of the slot 8C; and tilts the latch lever to hold it in engagement with the lug 78 after which the latch lever, pawl and cam levcr,-may travel in unison. Thus an operator exerting a uniform pressure on handle 16 sullioient to move the controller drum, will actuate the controller through its succossivdstcps, but the time interval between these steps will be automatically controlled by the current passing through the motor.

While this invention has been shown in conjunction with a certain type of street car controller it is not to be construed as limited to this use. It "is well within the scope of this invention to use it inconjunction with any other types of controllers, or in any place where it is desired to automaticallyprevent the manual operation of a motor controller, by means of the current passing through the motor.

"What I claim is:

1. An electric motor, a circuit therefor, a controller for the motor, locking mechanism for said controller, cam controlled means for controlling the normal movement of said locking mechanism, and an electromagnet arranged to move the locking mechanism into locking position. v

2. A locking mechanism for a controller.

comprising a ratchet wheel, a locking dog arranged'to engage the teeth of said ratchet wheel to prevent therotation of the controller in one direction, an 'electro-magnet for moving said doginto locking position,

and cam controlled means for controlling the movements of said ,dog when released from looking position.

3. A. locking mechanism for a controller comprising a ratchet wheel, a locking dog arranged to engage the teeth of said-ratchet wheel to prevent the rotation of the'convtroller in one direction, said dog being arranged to change the angularity of its engaging face ratchet.

4. In combination, a controller, a'ratchet wheel and a cam wheel on said controller, a locking device arranged to engage the teeth on said ratchet wheel to prevent rotation of the controller in one direction,-means controlled by said cam wheel for controlling preparatory ,to releasing said the movements of said locking device when.

disengaged from said ratchet wheel and electro-magnetic means for bringin said locking device into engagement witl said teeth.

5. In combination, a controller, a ratchet wheel and a cam wheel. on said controller,

a locking pawl arranged to be brought into engagement with the teeth on said ratchet, means tending norn'ially to keep said pawl out of engagement with said teeth, cam controlled means for controlling theoutward movement of said pawl, and electromagnetic means for bringing said pawl into engagement with said teeth. I

6-. In combination, a controller, a ratchet wheel and a cam wheel on said controller, a latch lever carrying a locking pawl arranged to be brought into engagement with the teeth on said ratchet wheel, means tending normally to keep said pawl out of engagement witl1 said teeth, and cam conmovement "*1: lever llmi'vn; from smcl "h the pawl arm qx'clanism for a controller, 7' with d 13%; Wheel, a, latch lever,

'vmieu on said Latch lever gought into engagement l, with gaiol klfililillllf%,

mom .Iheel, means llfjO l means for 001121-011. pawl inclepemleivlt of said of said; latch lever, 10 latch l :ver 5) clmllge the 1111 5111: ri'by of the ll loclamg mecl1&:0 is1-.,. for c moth-engaging face. of said pawl to allow couprlsmg' a atcllet wlle free release cwf'gaicl controller. arrangecl to sag izl e 8. A locking mechanism for a centroller, wheel b2 prev? fc ul-nprising' & ratchet Wheel, a latch lever, trolley in one illrastion 15 a locking pawl pivoted on said latch lever which loclzil'zg and aclaplscl to be brought into engagement Withflm-teeth on said ratchet Wheel, and means 1%]? swinging said pawl ln-clepenclwt of said latch lava i0 011 ge the angularity 20 of the toalll engagmg face 01" said ,pmv]. to allow fyee release 0; said controller and contr'ulling the movements of ever and mwl. vl l flQSS SZ 111g mechanism for a contrcller a, ratchet wheel, an electr 11 

